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From The Militant, Vol. V No. 40, 1 October 1932, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
At a regular meeting of the New York branch on September 27, the branch unanimously voted to expel Robert Brilliant from the Left Opposition. The trial for Brilliant has been carried on since September 9, when written charges were presented against him and at the meeting where he gave a report in his defense. Since then despite notices, personal and written, Brilliant has not appeared at the Trial Committee nor attended any meetings or activity of the Left Opposition. After the committee heard evidence from a number of League members and other union workers the committee came to a unanimous decision for the expulsion of Brilliant.
The outstanding violations of Communist principles have been: that Brilliant worked in another shop while his shop was on strike. In this period he did not carry on any strike activity he deserted his comrades who were forced to elect another shop chairman in his place. After the strike was over, Brilliant asked the N.T.I.U. for a work card. This was refused on the grounds that he was working during the strike. Instead of correcting his position or coming to his fraction or to the League to present his case, he went to the Right wing union officials and to persons connected with the Forward and gave them information which appeared in the Forward.
After this non-Communist action was brought before the needle trades’ fraction and the League and after Brilliant was called to the trial committee he continued to carry on his struggle against the Industrial Union, by continuing his action with the Right wing officials, the Forward and the Day.
These deeds and actions are contrary to elementary Communist proceedings and outside the bounds of membership in the Left Opposition faction of the Communist movement.
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Last updated: 6 December 2014